Sugar and its effect on our mind and body

Diana Allen, MS, CNS, is a health writer and holistic clinical nutritionist in private practice in Massachusetts. She specializes in food sensitivities, detoxification, traditional whole food diets and raw/living food nutrition. She's written many brochures and fact sheets for the Pioneer Health Education library, numerous health articles and a few books. Her short 45 page booklet, Natural & Healthy Sweeteners, a Woodland Health Series... goes into great detail the effects sugar has on our body and life. Carbohydrates and sweet foods are very valuable to our diets, as long as they come from the right source. It explains what is wrong with sugar and artificial sweeteners and helps us understand better ways to satisfy one's natural desire for sweet foods and drinks. The book also explains a bit about digestion and Low vs. high Glycemic Foods. The short book mentions the BEST natural and healthy sweeteners that are great to use for baking, sweetening tea/coffee, making smoothies, etc.. Stevia, Agave Syrup, Yacon, Brown Rice Syrup, tooth-friendly Xylitol and a few other good alternatives to sugar are mentioned. The beginning of the book explains in frightening detail the effects sugar has on our body and mind. Everyone knows sugar isn't good for you, but I think I've even a bit ignorant. And well.. sugar is addicting. I am addicted to chocolate. But there are healthier ways to cure our cravings. Sugar weakens the immune system, weakens teeth, may be the reasons people are more prone to colds and illnesses, it's a primary food of cancer cells, and has a large list of psychological effects - energy imbalances, sleep disturbances, fatigue, anxiety, mood swings, depression, hyperactivity. Diana Allen recommends reading the book Sugar Blues, by William Dufty.


I've always known that sugar is of course really bad for one's health, especially too much of it, but I've never ACTUALLY thought about it too much. One thing stated in Diana's book that REALLY seemed to make me more aware of the evilness of sugar was this:

"The pH of human blood is tightly regulated to remain between 7.35 and 7.45 (slightly alkaline). Frequent consumption of sugars and other acid-forming foods can drive blood pH into the bottom end of this range, contributing to a state of chronic low-grade metabolic acidosis against which the body must continually defend itself. One method of defense is to pull alkalizing, acid-buffering minerals (calcium, phosphorus, magnesium) into the bloodstream from their primary storage site: BONE TISSUE. This process of "robbing Peter to pay Paul: may succeed in raising blood pH to acceptable levels but it can also lead to bone loss and osteoporosis over time, explaining the link between low bone mineral density and high sugar consumption.

In one famous experiment from 1976, nutrition pioneer Dr. Emmanuel Cheraskin and colleagues showed that drinking 12 ounces of cola caused a 50 percent reduction in immune-specific white blood cells."

The fact that calcium could be stolen from bone tissue because of too much sugar being contained, is extremely frightening. It is very important for women to consume enough calcium in their diets, so the fact that if not enough calcium is being brought in AND sugar is allowing calcium to be taken away from bone tissue, is something to think about. 
Also stated in this book is that HFCS is seen to the body as a predigested sucrose. Meaning, HFCS can raise blood glucose and insulin levels even FASTER than white sugar (I think I've maybe mentioned this in a previous post, but its frightening!). 

Anyway, this booklet is very helpful and interesting. Diana's blog Eat 2 Evolve is full of great information, recipes, and motivational advice. She speaks about whole foods, raw foods and cleansing for good health and spirit.